Serendipity
by Nakiyo
Summary: The long awaited reunion has come at last. It's a shame things aren't exactly going according to plan.
1. A whole new world

**ser·en·dip·i·ty  
serənˈdipitē/**  
_ noun_  
_ the occurrence and development of events by chance in a happy or beneficial way._

—

"Hope I didn't miss the turn... " Father grumbles, scratching his head.

"Stop getting us lost, Akio. We're already an hour late."

He shakes her off and grips the steering wheel firmly,''I know where we're going, honey. _Relax_."

"You said that half an hour ago!" Mom groans, crossing her arms over her chest. Dad chuckles lowly and slows down just a bit. He brakes a meter away from a car that's already parked in front of a dark tunnel."They're already here, I hope they don't notice we're late." Mom frets, using the rear view mirror to adjust her flowery hat. I swear, she acts more and more like an old woman everyday.

She unlocks the doors and unbuckles the seatbelt that crosses over the chest of her red sweater. Dad unbuckles himself, steps out and stretches. I lug the heavy picnic basket out of the tiny yellow car and slam the door. I wait impatiently for my parents by the two-faced stone statue and peer down at it from the corner of my eye. It grins widely as if it knows something I don't—and it probably does, considering how old it looks. I feel like it's actually alive, sentient. Breathing.

"Chihiro? You coming?" Dad asks, from within the tunnel.

"Yeah, sorry." I run into the darkness of the tunnel and look for my parents by listening to the quiet sound of their shoes against the cobblestone. I feel for a solid surface in the darkness until I clasp onto the back of dad's old pink shirt. The farther we walk into the tunnel the bigger the light at the end gets.

The air is stagnant and thick—it's getting kind of difficult to breathe. I cradle the hefty basket in my arms and wipe a drop of sweat that rolls down my tawny cheek. A ray of sunlight shines down on us from above as we exit the tunnel and enter a clock tower. I squeeze between my parents and scamper off towards our new neighbors.

The neighbors aren't waiting that far from the old clock tower. They're perched on a large boulder, holding hands and swinging their feet to n' fro. I've never seen anybody who's actually happy to be married! Amazing. I set the picnic basket down at the foundation of the boulder and bow. "Hello, Oginosan. My name is Seiko and this is my husband,Takeshi. "The woman coos, a sweet smile crossing her red lips.

"It's very nice to meet you, sir. You too, ma'am." I breathe, holding out my hand. Seiko small hand shakes mine with a firm, vice tight grip and Takeshi's grip leaves a lot to be desired. They both jump to their feet and spread an old checkered blanket over the freshly cut grass. I open the picnic basket and remove the bento boxes and place them on the blanket.

"We're sorry for being late. I kind of got us lost..." Dad says, bowing his head.

"We'll forgive you on one condition: you have to share that delicious smelling lunch with us and we'll let this little incident go, no questions asked." Takeshi jeers, jabbing dad in the gut.

"In that case, dig in!" Mom cheers, sitting by her chosen bento. I open mine and a splendid aroma wafts into my nose, I can smell the sweetness of a freshly baked Salmon. Mom and dad really outdid themselves. The rice is nice and buttery and melts in my mouth, like chocolate that's been set out in the sun too long. I stealthily mash my vegetables into the ground and throw dirt over it.

"Thank you for the food, Ryōshin." I say, closing my bento."It was delicious."

My parents smile proudly and glance over at Seiko and her husband, looking for the same approval. After we're almost all finished we just sit down an talk about things—mom talks about home decoration ideas, dad talks about work and food. I just sit there, pulling grass up out of the ground—then I see it. There's a huge amusement park not that far from here, but it looks deserted. Cool!

"Okasan, Otosan, may I go for a walk?" I ask, swiping my bangs out of my face.

"Sure—you have fun." Mom assents, resuming her enthralling conversation with Seiko about pastel colored curtains. I stand up and jog towards the gigantic amusement park. The cool wind whistles quietly through the grass, and wafts this faint smell food to my nose. I climb up the rocky stairs and enter a seemingly abandoned restaurant. Sure enough, there's mountains of fresh food sitting on the wooden counters and tables but nobody's here. I leave the restaurant and continue to explore this mysterious park.

I run all over the place but still all I see is restaurant after restaurant filled with food. There's not a soul in sight and I'm starting to wonder if this place is haunted by spirits. I'd better not eat their food then—who knows what kind of spirits they are. I climb up another set of stone steps and stare up at a tall, statuesque Bathhouse. Smoke is rising up from somewhere inside which is proof that someone, or something, is in there. But, who? Why is there a bathhouse this far into the country?

In front of the Bathhouse there's an old red bridge that stretches over a ravine. I stand on the red railing and peer over just in time to see a train chugging out of the base of the Bathhouse. Finally—something other than food! I reach into my pocket and hunt for the camera. I snap a few pictures of the large, picturesque Bathhouse and one of the water covered train tracks.

"Chi...hiro?" A boy quietly stutters. My camera falls to the ground and a gasp escapes my lips. A strange boy with forest green eyes looks me over in awed wonder.

I pick up the scratched camera and glance up at him and step back. "Who are you and how do you know my name? Have we..._met_?"

"Yes—yes we have, remember?" He takes a step toward me, arms wide open.

I plaster a fake smile onto my lips and shake my head."No, I don't. Would you care to jog my memory?"

The strange boy's smile falters and fades quickly,"We met when you were small; you fell into me—the Kohaku river, trying to rescue your fallen shoe and started drowning—and I saved you!"He blurts, running his hand through his shoulder length hair. My smile softens. I get it now— this strange man is probably confused. His loved one was supposed to meet him here or something and I came instead.

"Sorry, I think you're looking for someone else."

"No, I've been searching for you for a long time, Chihiro." He grins and scratches the back of the neck."Can't believe your were this close to home."

I gulp, wipe the sweat off of my forehead and blink rapidly."W-who are you?"

"I can't believe you don't remember me." He sighs and massages his temples."We met in the Kohaku River...the dragon...here five years ago. I'm Haku."

"Someone once told me that once you've met someone, it's impossible to forget them."Where am I going with this?" I haven't forgotten you, Haku. I just need a little help remembering." I turn on my heels and walk down the dusty paths. I look back and see that Haku is shuffling after me with this dazed look on his face, like I've just punched him in the stomach. I keep my eyes straight ahead and run back to my parents.

When I get back, they're just packing up their dirty bento boxes and folding up the blanket. I cower behind my mom's back and watch as Haku shuffles over to Takeshi. Haku whispers something into Takeshi's ear and his downcast eyes meet mine. "I see you've met my creepy younger brother, Haku. Hope he didn't freak you out too badly, he's just trying to be friends." Takeshi laughs, slapping Haku's back. _Brother_?

"He's free to come over anytime. _If_ it's okay with my parents, that is." Just as my father opens his mouth to protest, a clap of thunder roars overhead. We all inspect the huge incoming clouds—they rolled in without any warning. I shield my head from the rain with the excessively heavy basket and sprint back to our car on the other side. The air is so cold now—as if Japan has been thrust up further into the Northern hemisphere. This is so crazy, it's the middle of summer! What could have caused the weather to change so drastically?!

I follow closely behind my mother as we dash back into the leaky tunnel. There are puddles forming in here already, but at least it's humid in here. Our footsteps echo loudly against the icy cobblestone floor of the tunnel, but I thought everyone passed me already. Then why do I hear footsteps behind me? I turn my head and see the lanky silhouette of a person shambling forward, hands in pocket. I don't want to be left alone with, Haku.

I run into the dim light at the end of the tunnel, but it isn't what I expected. Instead of an eerie statue there's just hills being pelted mercilessly by rain. Haku eventually catches up to me and I stumble back into him.

"Haku...where _are_ we? Where's the tunnel?! I've never seen this place before..."

He shakes his downcast head and looks around,"I...don't know." Haku snarls," All we can do now is head for civilization."A thick line of smoke rises up into the darkened sky.

"Let's head over there, maybe they could tell us how to get home from...wherever we are right now." I propose, pointing toward the billowing vapor. Haku silently follows my lead and we set off down the hill, towards the smoke. It's very difficult to trudge up the muddy roads lugging something that feels like it weighs almost as much as I do. At least I have someone to keep me company, it keeps me distracted—for the most part.

I keep glancing up at Haku and thinking—am I going to be safe with him here? Probably, if he was going to try something now'd be the perfect time. Nobody's around to stop him from doing anything. '' Haku? Didn't you say that you were looking for me? Why did it take you so long to...find me? I think it'd be easier for you if we're as close as you say we are." Haku doesn't answer, he just throws his head back and let's the rain trickle down his pale face. What a _strange_ guy...

A few minutes later, Haku removes the picnic basket from my head. I've been falling down a lot because of it, especially when we climb up hills. It just won't stop raining.A sigh of relief escapes my thin lips and I rub the back of my sore neck. I'd rather get drenched than have to cover my self with that stupid thing.

"Hey, Chihiro? You want to know why it took me so long to find you?" Haku blurts, staring straight ahead. I nod hesitantly and slick my bangs out of my face. "Four years ago I made a deal with Yubaba, the owner of the bathhouse, that if I worked for her for four years I was free to go. Her only other condition was that I'd be turned into a human until I received the kiss of true love. I know her true intention was to handicap me on my search. I didn't mind, though. Because I thought... I thought that if I found you, I could go back to the way I was. The way you remember me. And you'd forgive me for being so late." He pauses and slicks his dark hair out of his eyes.

I thrust my hands into my pocket and shake my head, in disbelief. "I...don't know how to tell you this, Haku. You're the craziest person I've ever met. Stop confusing me with this... girl of yours! If...if I truly did love you, wouldn't I have remembered you by now? You're obviously some kind of weirdo—or just hopelessly confused. Now listen, and listen good, if you're not going to stop with these shenanigans of yours..._Leave. Me. Alone. _You creep me out."

A strange look twists his face as if he's finally understood the punch line of a joke. Haku sets the basket on the ground and he cackles, pointing up at the thundering clouds. He's laughing so heartily that pearly tears are forming in his eyes and he can't pull himself together. "**Well played, you old witch**!" He screeches. The wind whips his hair around his face, making him look even more like a madman.

I run. I run far away from, Haku and never look back. I'm going to pretend this is all just a nightmare, a terrible, terrible nightmare. I'll wake up at home, in my thin blankets. I'll watch Shinchan or Princess Tutu and maybe I'll bike to the beach or something. This isn't real, this isn't real, this isn't real! Wake up, Chihiro, wake up! Tears stream down my tanned cheeks and I slide down a hill. Haku's haunting laughter still rings in my ears.

—

A few hours later I stumble into bustling little town. Night is quickly falling and I need to find shelter quickly. I-I wonder what Haku's doing...is he trying to follow me? He terrified me earlier and I think he just snapped, maybe I went too far. God, I just want to go home and find out that this is all just a dream. Since it's not a dream, I search for a safe place to stay this evening. But I can't read any of the signs or understand any of what the people are saying. Everything around me is...English?! Oh, great. Well, Totoro, we're definitely not in Japan anymore.

**A/N: I've fixed this chapter, please tell me what you think! Also, don't hesitate to share, review, or favorite this story! Have a nice day!**


	2. Brave

**Audaces fortuna iuvat(Latin): **_fortune favors the brave_

—

I stumble across a group of women who're clustered together whispering, "Osoreirimasuga doko?" I ask, my voice quivering.

The young women size me up and cross their arms,"Are you drunk?" They ask, obviously disgusted. They lift their brightly colored petticoats and walk away, with their noses high in the air. It sounds like I've angered them so I bow and quietly mutter an apology before taking off. I'm dressed for the hot summer weather of Japan but here it feels like it's the middle of winter. The sun hasn't fallen beneath the horizon yet but it'll get there within the hour, it's already caressing the sleepy horizon. I jog down the old cobblestone streets and turn into an alley, this is where homeless people go to stay right?. At the end of the street there is an ancient looking building with faded letters painted on it's façade. The door isn't locked and when I enter, a powerful sneeze racks my body; it's unbelievably stuffy and humid in here. The room is fairly dark and it looks like whoever lived here last was a major hoarder. There are useless things collecting dust everywhere—the dining table, chairs, and on the floor.

I close the door behind and drag myself up the creaky old wooden stairs and nearly trip over a pile of books. I look for a place to sleep and I spot an old armchair with a clump of oil colored feathers resting in it's seat. I pick the feathers up and lay them across my skirt, I'll just be here for one night, then I'll move on.I don't want to find out who the owner of these huge feathers is. I'll keep hoping that whoever they belong to is just a large pet. The fire flickers and warms my chilled body and I sleep effortlessly for the first time in a while.

I see my parents...at some sort of outdoor restaurant. They're eating and eating like there's no tomorrow and everything I scream at them falls on deaf ears. Mom's favorite salmon colored blouse stretches across her body and snaps once she grows to be too large. I lay my shaky hand on the rubbery back of father and he thrashes around; thus breaking his wooden stool. I stare into his glassy eyes and can't believe that my parents have transformed from normal everyday people into the squealing pigs right in front of me.

A bloodcurdling scream erupts from my chest."Hey—hey you!" The fire calls.

My sleep filled eyes pass over the fiery entity with neon green eyes. I carefully lean forward and reach out to stroke it's chubby belly. The warmth is scorching lay hot from this distance so I decide against it."Konichiwa, Kasaisama." I smile, inspecting his body. His tiny, insubstantial body can only be described as a deep purplish red that has reflective flecks of gold sprinkled generously in his stomach. He looks like the spark of a firework as it explodes in the inky night sky—which is a pretty good analogy considering he's like a star wallowing in a bed of ashes.

I inch my face closer and closer to the flame and it leaps back. Fire-sama raises the temperatures like a madman and I'm sweating like someone wearing a trench coat in the middle of a major heat wave. I tug at my peter-pan collar and wipe my sweat drenched brow. This stupid place is already stuffy enough without all of this extra heat, "Yamete kudasai!"

A dark haired man stomps downstairs and pauses briefly, surveying the situation. "You're too loud! Shhhhhhhut uppp!" He whines, pressing his long index finger against his lips, "And _you_, Calcifer, if you don't keep your temperatures down..." I raise an eyebrow and tilt my head to the side, what's he saying? I hope he didn't tell me to leave—I'm still recuperating from my journey. Apparently he doesn't because after his..._outburst,_ he turns on his heels and stomps back to wherever he came from without uttering another word.

A long, uneventful hour passes and my stomach growls like a lion. My eyes graze over the mountain of food that resides to the right of me on the old dining table. There are succulent grapes,peaches, figs, bacon strips, garlic bread sticks, cheese and eggs. My mouth waters like a water fountain and I can't resist just one bite...I break off a huge chunk of Ossau Iraty and a handful of garlic bread and grapes— it'll be a shame if they go to waste. I savor the zesty flavor of the garlic bread and the deliciously bitter taste of the cheese; the tangy flavor of the grapes are a nice touch, too. I gobble down the rest of my delicious breakfast and wipe my mouth, like a zoo animal. "Morning, sunshine." A man chirps, spinning me around.

I shake my head and shrug my tiny shoulders. Isn't it obvious that I don't understand a lick of English? The strange man leans down, gazes deeply into my dark eyes and whispers something strange into my ears. Then he...holds my face in his large hands and kisses my small quivering lips. He lingers for a bit, I backhand him as hard as I can and yelp, "What are you _doing_?!"

He staggers back a bit, pokes his swollen red cheek and chuckles,"I was just giving you an English cram session, I'll be sure to ask permission when we learn Spanish." He jokes. "Calcifer, I think I've found someone that has even more spark in them than you do!"

"What's your name, sir?"I interject, marveling at my clear tone when speaking English.

"I'm Wizard Howl. Welcome to my moving castle. Sorry for yelling at you earlier you interrupted my beauty sleep."

I'm getting some serious stranger danger vibes from this guy, I'd better get a safe distance away. "_Moving_ castle? Last time I checked, this was not a castle but an abandoned house—or inn. And what do you mean by _moving_ castle?"

"I mean a castle... that moves? Thought that was obvious, I guess not. " Howl shrugs his shoulders and turns away from me. "Anyway, I'd best be going. See you later, sweetheart."

"My name is Sen _not_ sweetheart."

"Don't get carried away while I'm gone, _sweetheart_!" Howl calls. He stalks down the small set of stairs and waves as he leaves. When I check out the second set of stairs, I see a giant spider feasting on poor little bug that's stuck in it's equally big web. Yeah, I'm not going there. I walk around in circles in Howl's cramped living room and inspect tiny details such as the design on the wallpaper. If it weren't drenched in dust, it might've been kind of charming. Soon, I'm finished criticizing Howl's..._decoration_ choices and now I'm left with the spider, the feathers and my inner most thoughts.

I called Haku a delusional creep just because he claimed that we used to be in love with each other. I now think there's a chance that he could've be telling me the truth. If a strange man can teach me an entire language with a single kiss, is falling in love really that out there? Has Haku been telling me the truth about us? About everything? He did seem vaguely familiar now that I think about it; especially those eyes of his. I've never seen anybody that has such intense green eyes like that except maybe on TV. But then again, what _don't_ you see on TV?

I goof around and talk to the fire and ask it some stupid questions— I wonder if it'll try to burn me again. He doesn't, though, luckily for me. He just points to a lumber pile stacked off in a corner and orders me to give him some. I feed him and build a wall of ashes around him at request— what an enchanting little demon! I pick up the beautiful feathers that lie on the dark red cushion of my chair and use them to create a crown for my light brown hair.

A small boy skips down the stairs and pauses when he sees me preening myself like an idiot. The boy is wearing a blue checkered sweater vest and beige shorts even though it's freezing cold outside. "Calcifer, why did you let a _witch_ in here?"

Calcifer sticks out his fiery tongue and crosses his stubby arms."I didn't _let_ her in, she came in all by herself. I'm not that stupid, Markl."

"Keep telling yourself that, Cal. Hey, you— are you Howl's new girlfriend, or something?" Markl asks, tugging on my skirt.

I shake my head and crouch down."I'm not Howl's anything, I'm just a visitor. Don't worry, I'll be out before you know it."

"Good. Try not to get in our way while you're here, lady." Markl huffs, sticking his tongue out at me. A doorbell rings and Markl disguises himself as a little old man before he goes to investigate.

"Porthaven door."

"Standby."

Markl goes back and forth like that— threatening me and serving whoever knocks at the door. He's pretty bitter for a little kid... but, hey, I was too. I drift in and out of sleep— now I can really feel the effect yesterday's events had on my body. My legs are throbbing with pain and my feet are _covered_ in bloody blisters. My arms are tired of hauling that heavy picnic basket for hours on end and as if that wasn't enough, I have a splitting headache that makes my brain swim and my stomach churn every time I move...

Markl clambers over to the food table and picks a couple of crackers and a peach. "Would you like to eat some fish, instead?" I ask, reaching into the picnic basket and taking out Haku's unused bento box.

Markl nods vigorously,"But.. It'll be cold and I _hate_ fish! It makes me sick." Markl complains.

"I feel the same way. But you should still try it, my mom makes the best fish you'll ever eat. I just have to heat it up a little. Oh, _Calcifer_..."

"I am a powerful fire demon _not_ a stove and anyway, only Howl can use me."

"Please, Calcifer? I'm too tired to deal with all of this nonsense." I grouch, forcing the pan of fish onto his head. Calcifer vehemently refuses and threatens to burn my fish."Fine. Where I come from, people eat fish even if it's not cooked. Markl and I can handle a little bit of cold fish."

Markl eats a pieces of cold salmon and a sweet peach. I make do with some cheese and crackers, but that's fine with me. I ate a bit too much for breakfast, anyway. "Thank you for feeding me, Sen. This tastes delicious, y'know, for a fish."

"You're welcome." I yawn and head for the dirty armchair that's become my bed. The coolness of the air soothes my headache and puts me to sleep, _now I can hear myself think_..I dream of the same thing that I did this morning. _Mom and Dad eating like pigs and turning into some; just like last night. This this time instead of screaming myself awake, I go farther into the dream. I jump back and run away from the restaurant smack dab into a dark spirit with a festival mask tied to it's "face". The spirit grabs my shoulders, opens it's mouth and pushes me inside_. I wake up instantly, panting and looking around for the dark spirit.

"Finally, you're awake!" Howl exclaims, eating something.

I crane my head to the right and sure enough, Howl is back home from wherever. Once again, he's staring deep into my eyes and I his and a delirious smile spreads across my face,"You...you have very pretty eyes. I never knew that eyes could be that _blue_."

"I know. I'll remind you to tell me that when you're actually conscious." Howl whispers, adjusting my feathered crown.

"Please do. Hey...Hoowll? I've been looking for this boy called Haiku who... I have to ...apologize to..." My eyes droop and I'm slowly slipping back under again. "Help me?"

Howl laughs softly,"_Sure_, I'll help you. See you in the morning, then."

-—-

A week later, I wake up early one morning and feed Calcifer a thick Yule log. It'll keep him going for twelve hours, so that's a plus. He breaks it in half and devours a piece of it. "It's about time— I was about to die! You sleep like a log...no pun intended."

"You were not about to die— I wouldn't have let you, you little drama queen."

Calcifer slams his tiny golden fists down on the pile ashes,"I am not a drama queen." He pouts, climbing onto the log. I take some leftover bread and an apple from the table and nibble them slowly. Markl skips downstairs and requests to eat some more salmon. I direct him to the damp picnic basket that's near the creaky old rocking chair in front of the fire.

"Where are you from, Sen? And why do you eat like a mouse?" Markl asks, stuffing his face with the last of Haku's fish.

"What do you mean like a _mouse_? I'm,uh, from Japan."

He stares at me with a perplexed expression etched on his face. "You're joking right? Japan doesn't _exist_..."

I choke down a big chunk of an apple and my face goes horribly pale at the words 'Japan doesn't exist...' "Japan does indeed exist. Maybe you should brush up on your geography sometime instead of parading around as a little old man."

Markl sticks his tongue out at me and I fight against the urge to do the same. "I have a legitimate reason for what I do, you _don't_! There's no excuse for lying."

I ignore Markl's last statement and think, since that's all you can do here. Howl is being rather quiet today, usually he makes a flamboyant entrance or whines about something. I'll offer him a drinks and see what's wrong. I remove some soda from the basket— it's not cold anymore. That's okay. I climb up the broken old stairs and find that most doors are locked up here. I assume his room is the one at the end of the hallway, the one I haven't tried yet. I knock on the door and wait but there's no answer. I push the door open and peek in to see if it's the right one. Sure enough, it is.

"I brought you something to drink. You thirsty?"

"Definitely, thanks." Howl smiles, jumping up and grabbing one from my hand. He cracks it open and sips it thoughtfully."What does Haiku look like?"

_Haiku_? "Oh, Haku... Well, he has olive green eyes and... relatively light skin. Last time I saw him, he had his hair tied back into a droopy ponytail. Um...oh yeah! He was wearing strange clothing; like a farmer—n-not that farmers dress strangely."

Howl turns his body to face mine and continues to enjoy his drink,"Why do you want to look for him? Maybe he doesn't want to be found."

"His name is Haku not _Haiku_, he's not a poem. And I'm sure he does want to be found because... never mind."

"Was he your boyfriend?"

"_No_, he wasn't... I don't remember what we were. I don't really know anything about him." I admit.

"I'm taking you to someone you don't even _know_?" Howl snickers. "You're really..._something_, you know that?"

"Yeah, I know."

-—

I leave Howl's messy bedroom, and almost trip on the broken floorboards below me. With every step I take it kicks up more and more dust into my face, gross! I should probably clean the castle as a thank you to Howl for keeping me here so long. Heaven knows if our situations were flipped I wouldn't have done the same. I'm too skeptical of everyone I meet.

My sense of purposefulness is short lived—now that I'm up here, I can finally see how lazy I've been. If I can't even take care of the living space around me, how am I going to look for a person in a whole new world? I throw the can into the trash and sink down into my chair by the fireplace. I'm lulled to sleep by Calcifer's incessant chattering about this, that and the other. It's...kind of like home. Reminds me of my parents; how mom'd talk to dad about stuff as he falls asleep watching the news.

Tonight, I dream of home._ I pull the blankets over my tiny red nose and stare out the open window. My curtains are twirling around in the wind and the moon's light spills into my dark room, it's a truly beautiful scene. "Please come tonight! Please, please, please! I miss you, H—!"_ I never got a reply from whoever I was speaking to, no matter how loudly I screamed. Thats how the dream rapidly became a nightmare for me; it's a terrible thing to be wasting all your time and efforts on someone who isn't interested.

Sweat rolls down my temples and I try to slow my racing heart down. But, as usual the only thing that's in this room with me is Calcifer. I don't think that I'll be able to stay conscious for more than a few hours but ... I've got to get it together and start searching for Haku soon. I really hope that he's still alive—if he dies I'll never be able to forgive myself. The moon's soft glow showers the world in a faint light and I pray quietly to whoever's listening. "Please give Haku a safe place to stay and plenty of food to eat until I find him again. Help me find him, again. Amen."

Today, I don't wake up as tired as I have been these past couple of days, but I'm still feeling unusually weak. Which is weird since I'm positive I've eaten nonstop since arriving. "Morning, Calcifer." I yawn, tossing a log into his hearth.

"Morning, Sen. Welcome back to the land of the living, will you be staying with us for more than an hour?"

I set four logs aside and roll my eyes."It's nice to see you too." Today, I make my commitment to finding Haku official. _I'm going to find you, Haku. I'll take you back to your parents, and you'll be safe if it's the last thing I do. "What if it is the last thing you do?" A voice in my mind hisses._

Then so be it. I owe it to him and his parents.

—

**A/N: I've got to reupload chapter 1 and 3 because FF messed some things up. I'd like to thank all the people who take time out of their day to review my story. It means more than you know—keep telling me what you think! :)**


	3. Love me not

_La Douleur Exquise (French): The heart wrenching pain of wanting someone you can't have._

—

I wipe the sweat off my brow and try my best to ignore the ferocious growling of my stomach and the battering ram at my head. This is it. This is how I'm going to die— it's kind of funny really. People spend all of their lives trying to cheat death because they're terrified of it, me included. But, I'm not scared of it right now. Just exhausted, I want to go to sleep and never wake up again. I've never felt this peaceful in my entire life. I feel...tired. I just want to...take a long nap and forget about this stupid situation I've landed myself in.

The last of last week's rains have almost finished evaporating which makes it much a little easier to climb up and down the hills without slipping. Hills in this region are so steep that I've got to dig my fingers deep into the earth or else I'll fall. My fingers keep slipping out because there's still so much mud and it won't stop trying to dislodge me from the hill. When I reach the summit I survey the surrounding land to see if there's anyone around. I don't see much of anything but a group of cottages, resting beneath the icy horizon. Smoke rises out of their tiny chimneys, so there must be someone living there. I don't have any food and I barely have any energy in me, can I make it over there? Even if I can't, at least I know where to go now.

There's not a lot of hills over in this direction which is good, because I'm tired of climbing them. There's just a bunch of small berry bushes growing what looks like vibrantly colored marbles— I'm tempted to pick some but it's probably for the best I don't. I've never heard of a plant producing fruit during sun falls slowly beneath the dead horizon and I really don't wan to be walking out in the open like this when it gets dark. The sun's position in the sky tells me it's around eight in the evening but I still have quite a ways to go. I'm probably closer to ten kilometers than three from my destination.

As a human, I've learned many things. I've learned that it doesn't take much to injure the human soul– something as simple as quietness and solitude will drive the sanest man alive insane. I'm not the best example of this principle. I've never been completely sane. These hills have gone on forever and I haven't seen a single person since Chihiro ran away, that's probably what's driving me crazy. The only companions I've had on my journey to nowhere are the occasional flock of birds and the pesky flies that buzz around my head. I wonder if Chihiro is doing well? Is she holding on to her sanity as "well" as I am? I try not to get too worried about her—she has shown me more than once just how capable she really is.

The only refreshments I've had today are the tiny nearly evaporated puddles I occasionally step in— my throat feels like it's on fire. Humans can only go a week or so without water right? For dinner I munch on some dead grass and now I'm hungrier than ever. The sun goes down beneath the horizon and the already cool temperatures drop even lower. I'm not able to take another step, my body is turning a strange bluish purple. I place my head between my trembling legs—I think back to the days when I was a powerful river spirt. I think about my old friend, the North wind, who sometimes brought me Chihiro's prayers. He'd comfort me and tell me that everything will be okay, and he'd attempt to distract me by telling me about his travels. God, I miss him. I need a distraction right about now.

Maybe if I pray hard enough she'll hear my prayers the way I heard hers. Maybe she'll forgive me for making her wait so long. For scaring her, I mean, the way she looked at me...like I was a monster. I don't want to die like this— I don't want to die without apologizing but... I can't hold on...much longer... I can feel my life flickering out like a candle. Darkness takes over and it gets harder and harder for me to concentrate on thinking. Death has finally decided it's time to collect my life, I suppose. More power to him. I wonder if North will take me back to the Spirit World. Do people in this world even go to the Spirit World?

—

_I grip Chihiro's tiny hand and run away from the cheering crowd of spirits that scream their goodbyes and thank yous. We head towards the way that Chihiro' had come from." Hey, Haku? Where are my parents?" She asks._

_"They're on the other side of the tunnel, waiting for you. You shouldn't...keep them waiting." I reply, rubbing my thumb across her soft hand._

_"Look...the lake is gone." Chihiro breaths, staring out at the grassy field._

_My chest aches and I try to ignore the knot that rises in my throat. I force a smile to spread across my lips and turn to face Chihiro. " I...can't go this way, Chihiro. You have to go on by yourself. Just go back through the tunnel where you came from and you should be fine. Don't look back no matter what, okay?"_

_Chihiro's face falls. "Okay. And...what about you, Haku?" She mummers._

_"I'm going to go have a talk with Yubaba and quit. She can't keep me here—I know who I am now."_

_Chihiro nods, squeezing my hand." Will we...ever meet again?"_

_"If you want to, sure. Now, go."_

_"Promise?"_

_"Promise." I reply, slowly releasing her from my embrace._

_Chihiro pauses, lays her hands on my shoulders and stares into my eyes."I'll never forget you, Haku! As long as I live!" She hesitantly turns on her heels and sprints toward the tunnel._

_And I want to believe her, I do. But I can't, no matter how much I want to._

—

"Sis, the strange boy is finally wakin' up! The kiss worked!" A shrill voice calls, from next to me.

A girl's dark eyes meet mine briefly and she pokes my face with her tiny finger. A bigger version of the little girl comes into the room, places a wet cloth on my forehead and picks up the little girl. The little girl smiles uneasily and points to a cup of water at my bedside. I quickly chug it down without hesitation. "Hello. What're your names?" I ask, wiping the tears from my eyes.

"I'm Mina and she's Anne. It's a pleasure to meet ya...?" The little girl says, peeking out of Anne's chest.

"My name's Haku. C-could I have some more water, please? Like a pitchers worth? I'm really thirsty."

Anne sets Mina down and sends her off with a little push. Anne fluffs my pillow and sets it at an angle then she carefully pushes me down. "Where'd you say you were from, Haku? Kingsbury? Y-you have a very...unique accent, that's why I'm asking." Anne remarks, twiddling her thumbs.

"Heh, how did you guess? I croak, rubbing my throat."I was ambushed by a group of...robbers on my way back home. They took everything I had, including my map. Mind telling me where I am?"

Anne's blue eyes narrow as she carefully inspects my face."What kind of robbers would bring you this far into the Wastes? And leave you alive to tell the tale? That's downright idiotic."

What are the Wastes? "It may not have been robbers, now that I think about it... My mind keeps drawing up blanks."

Mina enters the room holding a large pitcher of clean water. The pitcher is half empty within seconds and I set it on the tiny lamp stand beside me. Soon after I learn never to overestimate my strength like I do now. My legs give out when I try to stand and I land with a thud on the hard concrete floors. Mina helps me sit back up on the stiff bed while Anne removes a dark pink bottle from her pant pocket. She flicks it a few times and empties it's contents into the rusted pitcher. "Please, drink this." Anne requests.

I glance up at her and wonder what she's put in the water. "It's just some medicine for the pain, don't worry. You may feel a little bit drowsy but that's perfectly normal. Now, hurry and drink it!" Anne replies, picking up the pitcher and thrusting it in my hands.

She mixed that right in front of me so... It can't be that bad. What's the worst that could happen? I waft the scent of the water up to my nose. It smells pretty safe. In fact, it's making me really hungry. Soon the pitcher is completely drained of it's contents and I'm starting to feel pretty good. The pain has numbed and my headache is gone."Thanks." I garble, climbing back under my covers. Anne places a hand on my forehead and mutters lowly in an unfamiliar language. Are they sister witches like Zeniba and Yubaba? Mina carefully dabs my face with a wet cloth and I try to flick her hand away. But...I can't move! My body is paralyzed, I can barely make a sound. "Whaa—?" Anne covers my eyes with her clammy palm and continues chanting.

"Sh. Just go to sleep and I promise you'll be fine real soon." Mina whispers. And I do just that. But this doesn't feel like sleep, it's too light. Like I'm just closing my eyes and forcefully holding my breath. The last thing I hear the is two girls whisper quietly to each other.

"He's fadin' fast, like a light. I hope you know what you're doing, sis."

Anne giggles nervously."I do. Though...the potion does work differently for different people. Let's just cross our fingers and hope that his slowed heartbeat is a good sign..."

**A/N: Thanks for all the reviews and I encourage you to continue writing them, they make my day! I'm sorry that this chapter is a bit on the shorter side. What do you think is going to happen next? Be warned, you're all in for an emotional roller coaster from here on out.**


	4. Acquaintance

_We cannot tell the precise moment when friendship is formed. As in filling a vessel drop by drop, there is at last a drop which makes it run over; so in a series of kindnesses there is at last one which makes the heart run over. _– **Ray Bradbury**

**—**

"Hey, Howl?"

"Hm?" Howl leans back in my chair. I probably shouldn't get so worked up over it, in actuality it is his. And it is just a chair. I swing my legs back and forth and stare at the back of his head. Should I ask him for clothes? I don't feel right asking him for anything. I don't like to ask for _anything_."Sen?"

I take a deep breath and force myself to ask."D-Do you have any other clothes? For girls? While I was walking, the rain seeped into my clothes and the mud mussed it up."

"I'm afraid not. Why were you walking in the rain dressed inappropriately for the weather, anyway?"I grab a chair from the dining table and set it next to Howl's, I like to watch people's expressions when they talk.

I laugh nervously and rub the nape of my neck. "I was caught unawares, sir. I'm not from this region, you see?" I bring my hands close to Calcifer's face and warm them.

"Ah. So you're a foreigner, huh? That's interesting, why don't you tell me about your travels?" But he's so distant, I can't tell if he's consciously speaking to me or not. Howl's just staring straight ahead at the wall, twiddling his thumbs.

I rub my rough, blistered feet and sigh."It wasn't all that interesting, really. I got lost and injured myself—I'd rather not talk about it, I'm still pretty spooked." He'll have me committed if I tell him the truth. We stay quiet like that for a while, mostly because I don't really know what else to say.

"I love spooky stories, they're the best ones of all. And you know what they say—what doesn't kill you makes you stronger." He states, coming out of his reverie. I nod my head in solemn agreement and feed Calcifer's fire. I miss my parents and it aches to know that I might never see them again. I miss my mother's heartwarming smile that could easily light up a room and dad's hilariously unique sense of humor. That's enough thinking for one day, Chihiro. Of course you'll never find them if you yourself can't even believe that you will!

I pick my teacup up from the floor and delight in it's spicy taste. Howl doesn't finish his tea, though. He just throws it into Calcifer's eager mouth and adjusts his lovely turquoise coat. A knock is heard at the door and a young woman's high pitched voice echoes through the heavy door. Howl takes my hand and hides me inside of the tiny closet."I'll let you out as soon as my friend leaves. Until then don't make a sound."

He quickly closes the door and I am entrapped in a suffocating case of inky darkness. There's barely any legroom for me so I have to silently prop my feet up on the wall. I strain my ears to listen to the strange young woman who has entered the castle. I can only hear small segments of their conversation but it sounds like they're having a good time. She sounds breathtaking. Howl and his "friend" spend a lot of time chatting in the living room, my neck even forms a wicked kink from lying in an awkward position for so long. I shift into to a more comfortable position that takes the pressure off my back. My shoulder accidentally slams against the thin door of the closet and silence

Suddenly, the slide door slides open and I'm staring up at a woman with piercing green eyes that glare deep into mine. Long, strawberry blonde locks frame her fair face. "What a _lovely_ little lady you've got cooped up in here."She hisses, crossing her arms across her generous chest. The woman gracefully turns to face Howl and the tension in the air thickens. I prop myself up and pop my neck. I tap on the lady's broad shoulder so I can try to explain the situation. She spins around angrily and I swear if looks could kill... I'd be six feet under.

"I'll be the first to testify to that fact. She makes for some solid company, too."

"Hmph, if you say so. She'd be even prettier if she took a shower once in a while." I grimace and cover my red hot cheeks with my dirty hands. That was...mean. If I could take a hot shower and change clothes, I would have done so as soon as I got here! But that doesn't matter, does it?

The woman mocks remorse when she sees my distraught state and pats my discolored cheek. "We'd best be leaving—I'm hurting the poor girl's feelings. Don't worry, little girl. There are worse smells, I'm sure." The woman giggles, adjusting the shiny brass buttons of her burgundy coat. Howl laughs and wraps an arm around her slender body. They leave, not even giving me a second glance.

I stomp over to the door and turn the knob onto the blue piece. Markl runs down from upstairs, buttoning up the navy blue buttons of his jacket. "Can I go with you? Nobody's ordered anything today and I'm so bored!" I don't object because it's probably for the best that I go with someone else anyway. I stuff my hands into my roomy pockets and shiver as we step out into the chilly afternoon. I bet the fish in the sea don't care what I smell like.

The sky is a cloudy gray just like the day I arrived in this silly place. I wonder what the sea'll look like today. "The ocean is really pretty here. I...haven't been in awhile, you wanna go to the harbor?"

"The ocean's always like that, can't we go some other time? It looks like it's going to start raining soon, we should head back anyway." Markl complains.

I cough nervously and clear my throat."Um, Markl? Do I smell bad or, uh, look weird to you?" We turn, walking back the way we came.

"Sort of both, yeah. But you don't look like the bad weird or anything. You could go for a bath or three..." I laugh and ruffle his messy hair. He's right though, now that I'm paying attention I can definitely notice the smell. We wonder away from "home" and venture into an alley. The stones clack under our feet as we race through the narrow breezeway between two busy shops. They smell positively _divine_—like actually cooked food, yum! Haven't had that in a while.

Markl and I play tag for a few minutes but we stop when I accidentally bump into a soldier. I bow my head as an apology and as usual, it starts to rain. What a nice surprise. I can't go back yet, I hate being in the castle. It's so dark and dirty, and, and, boring! I close my eyes and lean back against a cracked stone wall. Instead of running around like an idiot, I think about Haku. I do that a lot these days, ha. Who would've thought? My best guess would be to look around where I left him and search for clues. The rain has probably washed away any trace of his tracks from the hills so...what am I supposed to do, then?

_Just go with it. How will you know what to do if you don't try?_ I slowly open my eyes and sigh. That's the only thing I can come up with? Wing it and hope for the best? It's as good a plan as any, I suppose. "C'mon, Markl. That's enough goofing around for one day...let's head home. I'm freezing."

"That's what I've been suggesting we do the whole time!" He groans. He takes my hand and leads me back through the windy alleys.

I remove a mat from the closet and throw it down onto the floor. It's much more comfortable than sleeping upright in that stupid chair. "Calcifer? Do you ever get tired of...being cooped up in here all the time?" I ask, staring up at the low, dark ceiling.

"Is that a legitimate question? Of course, I do! All I do day in and day out, is move this stupid castle and keep it at a lukewarm temperature." He sighs and devours half a log. "Howl doesn't even give me vacation days, can you believe that? I'm practically his slave."

"Ha, I know that feeling. Why don't you just, I don't know, leave?" I mutter, covering my eyes. "I think it'd be easy for such a powerful fire demon such as yourself. But, then again, what do I know about demons and their owners?"

"He doesn't _own_ me! We have an explicitly consensual agreement—I do this because it's what I agreed to do. Nothing more, nothing less."

I sit up and raise an eyebrow. "You _chose_ to be a slave? What else did you agree to, Cal?"

"My lips are sealed. But... I'll tell you if you help me break our contract."

"I'm not that desperate, thank you."

"I'm desperate, Sen. I want to be free to come and go as I please, just like you can!" Calcifer begs, clasping his little hands together. "Please? At least give it some thought..."

"Sure, I'll be more than happy to." A yawn escapes my lips and I briefly wonder if my breath smells too. "How can I help you if you can't tell me what I'm going up against?"

"I wish I could, Sen. You understand."

"I don't think I do, sorry."

I sneeze and wrap a thin blanket around my shoulders. I wish I had an actual bed with a blanket thick enough to keep me warm. New pajamas and a freshly cooked meal wouldn't be so bad either. Shrimp dipped in cocktail sauce, brown rice fresh from mom's rice cooker and freshly baked tilapia. This is pure _torture_, all I can think about is food, food and warmth, food and home. I stand up and remove two rocks from the little "wall" surrounding Calcifer's ash filled hearth. I tuck a few logs under each arm."Markl, carry those slabs of bacon and those eggs with you. I'm sick and tired of starving. I've never gone hungry a day in my life, why should I start now?"I say, reaching for a cooking pan.

I turn the dial onto the green piece and step outside. It's the rolling hills from before, I can even see that same little town I arrived in! I walk a little ways up the hill and set the logs down. The rocks do a good job of getting the fire sparked quickly. I just hope this wind doesn't blow it out or else I'll have to go another day without something to eat. I place the pan on top of the warm fire and fan the smoke out of my face. Markl huffs up the hill handing me tonight's dinner. I crack the eggs inside of the pan and toss the shells over my shoulder. Eggshells must be good for the environment, right? Right.

The loud sizzle of the eggs is music for the ears and stomach. After a few minutes I flip the yellowing eggs over with a stick and sprinkle a pinch of salt on them."Go get us some plates, Markl. These'll be finished pretty soon." The eggs are finished scrambling by the time Markl runs back with three large dinner plates. Markl and I are the only ones having dinner. Unless the castle's got another visitor...

"A romantic sunset dinner for two? Oh, Sen, you shouldn't have." Howl grins, placing his hands on his hips.

"Good, because I didn't. Wouldn't want you to lose your appetite because of my smell." I growl, stabbing an egg onto my plate. "There's not enough for you, anyway. _Sorry_."

Howl's smirk softens as he hikes up the steep hill and he crouches down so we're eye level. "Really? You could feed an entire army with all of this food." He laughs and etches a design into the ground with his finger. I stab the rest of the eggs onto my plate to further the solidification of my point. "Oh. I get it, you're still **mad**."

I dump the slabs of bacon into the red hot pan. "If you want to eat, eat."

"You're forgetting about me!"Markl groans, holding out his plate impatiently. I dump a third of the eggs onto Markl's plate and give Howl mine. Markl runs down the hill and stumbles back into the dark castle. Maybe he went to go look for something clean to eat with.

Howl stuffs an egg into my mouth and flips the oily sticks of bacon over with a stick. Mmm, I know I should be angry but this tastes...really good. I toss another egg into my mouth and avert my attention over to the beautiful sunset. "I'll get over it. I always do. Shut up and eat your dinner."

Howl presses his lips together and suppresses a laugh."You're not being cooperative, Sen. I had a whole apology worked out and you ruined it. Let me start over.." I stare into the oily pot and poke the bacon with the stick. It's almost done. Maybe he's waiting for the bacon to finish cooking...

He pinches my cheek and sighs."Sorry for laughing at you, sweetheart. I'll be a gentleman from now onwards."

"Yeah, well, I don't accept." I smack his hand away."I just want to eat this food and take a nice nap on the matts in the closet. So if you'll excuse me..."

"I only laughed earlier because your reaction was hysterical! Your smell actually isn't as bad as she made it out to be, I thought you'd realize that." Howl's smile widens and he stares out at the sinking sun. "My point is, she only tried to degrade you because she believes in you more than she does herself. And believe me she's as vain and arrogant as they come."

"You're so _stupid_." I blurt, burying my face in my hands. "She was mad because I was hiding in her boyfriend's closet, that's all there is to it. It's like you want me to feel _worse_."

"I'm not her boyfriend, Sen. Please listen to what I have to say, okay? There's no logical reason as to why she'd talk to you like that "because she's mean" isn't one either. Nobody's mean just "because". It's because she could tell how incredible you are without even knowing you. I'm truly sorry."Howl eats one of the eggs on the plate."Maybe while we're playing hide and seek with Haiku, I'll get to experience what she saw in you."

"Maybe. But my top priority right now is finding him and every now and then we can talk over a hot cup of tea."

"I'm looking forward to it."" He slides the bacon out of the pan onto the his unused plate and we quietly eat dinner together. "I can see you're still feeling down. How can I make it up to you?" The sky's normal pinkish orange fades into a dark sky. I put out the fire and carry the logs back in the house—Howl will carry the plates and the pan.

"I'm okay, really. Now, about making it up to me..."

—

**A/N: I'm a bit iffy about this chapter. What do you all think about it? Please leave a review!**


End file.
